Almost 50 asylum seekers deported under the "one in one out" scheme have been recorded as returning to the UK a second time. In addition to those detained by the Home Office, an unknown number are believed to have arrived in the UK undetected.
The "one in one out" scheme, which started last September, allows the UK government to return individuals arriving on small boats to France. This is done in exchange for a similar number of asylum seekers being brought to the UK legally, with the aim of deterring Channel crossings by small boats.
The Guardian previously reported that the first asylum seeker returned to the UK a second time last October, weeks after being forcibly returned to France. As of June 30, 2026, 1,117 individuals have been transferred to the UK and 1,087 returned to France under the scheme, according to the Home Office.
Officials state that the treaty between the UK and France has been amended to ensure that individuals returning to the UK a second time will be returned to France again. A Home Office spokesperson said that anyone attempting to return to the UK after removal under the agreement "will be removed again."
Small boat crossings have reportedly reduced by about 43% this year. This reduction is attributed to various factors, including bad weather, a roughly one-third decrease in migrants arriving in Europe overall, and efforts by UK and French authorities to disrupt people smugglers.